“She has demonstrated the strength, the capacity, the communications skills," she told ABC Radio, adding a majority in the caucus believed Ms Gillard was the best person to lead the Labor Party in the fight against the coalition.

“I think it will be decisive," she said of the expected vote.

Mr Rudd has the support his Small Business Minister Craig Emerson.

“I have a conservative view of these things, I have always voted for the leader," he told ABC Radio.

“I don’t think changing leader, when there is hard reform work to do is the way to go."

“I don’t believe it is the right way to go to remove a first-term Labor leader."

Dr Emerson said it was “too easy" to say Labor’s slump in the opinion polls was down to Mr Rudd solely.

“We have to work together to get us out of this current position," he said.

He refused to criticise Ms Gillard, but would not speculate about the outcome of the leadership ballot.

“I’m not a soothsayer on these things."

Dr Emerson said Ms Gillard would have his full support if she won the leadership ballot.

“I have a very high regard for Julia," he said.

Dr Emerson said he had spoken to Mr Rudd overnight and the prime minister was “working his way" though the issue.

Northern Territory Labor backbencher Damian Hale vowed to vote for the prime minister, who he said had endured a “tough few months".

“There’s a lot of support for him from the class of 2007," the first-term MP told reporters, adding Mr Rudd had been an outstanding prime minister for the territory.

“Some people can vote along lines, I’m not a Gucci bag.

“I don’t go and sit on someone’s hip and be told what to do."

Mr Hale said he would do what he thought was right.

“And I think it’s right to vote for Kevin Rudd."

Labor backbencher Kelvin Thomson says he will support Ms Gillard because it was a vote for “less talk and more action".

He said the Labor caucus had become a rubber stamp.

“Time and time again we have been sent out to defend actions in which we had no say," he told reporters, adding that had been damaging to the personal standing of Labor MPs.

“You can’t go and say that climate change is the great moral challenge of our time or taxpayer-funded advertising is a cancer on democracy and then backflip on these things without damage to your credibility."

Australian Greens’ leader Bob Brown said having a female prime minister would be a big breakthrough for Australia.

But he expressed concern about a possible shift to the right on asylum seekers, a move flagged by Mr Rudd on Wednesday night.

“It would be a worry indeed if the prime minister’s prediction of a stronger move to Howard policy were something in the offing," he told reporters.

Family First senator Steve Fielding said Mr Rudd’s leadership style had brought him undone.

“Julia Gillard is able to consult ... Kevin Rudd had not been able to consult."

Independent senator Nick Xenophon said he had found Mr Rudd amenable in his one-on-one meetings.

“Look, language is important, and being able to cut through is important, and he could have done that a little better."

Senator Lundy confirmed that Treasurer
Wayne Swan
would be standing for the deputy leadership, if Ms Gillard won the leadership ballot.

Labor backbencher Jim Turnour said Mr Rudd had his backing because the prime minister had helped his north Queensland electorate get through the global financial crisis.

“We have been through some tough times, but I believe in tough times you stick together and that we can win the next election with Kevin Rudd," he told reporters.